John is a quiet, thoughtful young man, always focused on making sure that he’s carefully following the rules and doing his best. He’s a Courtesy Clerk at the Rincon Kroger, and in addition to assisting shoppers by bagging their groceries, he is responsible for taking the trash out, collecting the shopping carts, and wiping them down.
A bit shy, John especially enjoys wiping down the shopping carts and sweeping the store, tasks that he can approach methodically, and demonstrate his ability to focus. He knows that keeping the store clean is especially important now, since the coronavirus pandemic began, and he takes extra care to do a thorough job cleaning to help protect the health of the customers and all his co-workers.
“John is very capable and a great team player,” says his job coach, Katee, “But he’s incredibly modest and soft-spoken.”
Katee has seen a dramatic difference in John since he started working at Kroger, noting that having a job where he feels valued has helped him to become more confident lately. “John has been thriving and gaining more confidence in himself because he has a strong support system, and his teammates are actively helping him to be successful.”
Active with his church youth group and with his family, John is a huge Alabama fan and never misses watching the games on TV. He loves to fish and spend time outdoors with his family. His dream is to become a game warden or park ranger because he wants to work outside and aspires to contribute in a meaningful way to keep parks, campgrounds, and waterways clean and safe for everyone.
It’s easy to overlook someone who works quietly and consistently, not looking for praise and accolades. But to employers, workers like John can be some best members of their team! For many workers who have IDD, a keen ability to focus and complete a task consistently is a quality that elevates their quality of work above other workers.
EmployAbility is grateful to the businesses that are diversifying their workforces by hiring people with IDD and our community supporters who help to expand the horizon of opportunities for our program participants.
